Rare Indian blue robin spotted in Gir sanctuary

It was a pleasant surprise for bird watcher Ashok Mashru and his colleagues on Dhuleti when they spotted the rare Indian blue robin in Girnar Wildlife Sanctuary.

According to Mashru, the bird was earlier recorded by renowned ornithologist Lavkumar Kachar in 1996 at Hingolgadh near Jasdan of Rajkot district when it was going to south India in autumn.

"It may be possible that Indian blue robin, which we spotted, was going back to north India. The species breed in Himalaya. By all chances, this is only the second time that it has been sighted in Gujarat after 18 years," Mashru said.

Bird watchers say Indian blue robin may be a passage migrant. This specie commonly spends winters in hills of Kerala and Sri Lanka.